Report Description

Nikkei Automotive Technology magazine evaluated low- and mid-speed recognition (vehicle and pedestrian) and braking functions in automobiles from nine manufacturers equipped with autonomous braking systems. This was the first comparative evaluation in Japan of autonomous braking for pedestrians. Overall, models from Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan (Subaru) and AB Volvo of Sweden came out on top, with AAA ratings. We analyzed the data to see just what different manufacturers do differently, and probed their design philosophies

Part 1: Critical choices affect results

Collision avoidance performance at low and medium speeds (mainly 20 km/h to 50 km/h) was evaluated, for both stationary vehicles and pedestrians. As the test included pedestrians, different vehicles showed widely different recognition capability especially for human figures. Infrared laser and millimeter-wave radar systems, however, were not capable of sensing pedestrians, resulting in lower scores.

Part 2: Braking performance analysis

In addition to measuring the top speed at which a collision would be avoided, we also measured the maximum deceleration applied during braking. An analysis of the results revealed the safety philosophy of each firm through brake operation dynamics. In general, they fall into two groups: stopping rapidly, or alerting the driver first and then stopping. The former approach was selected by Suzuki, Toyota, Honda, Volvo, and VW, and the latter by Daihatsu, Nissan, Subaru, and BMW.

Part 3: Sensor evolution

While millimeter-wave radar fell short of cameras in the tested systems, it is catching up fast. The first millimeter-wave radars capable of recognizing pedestrians are expected to reach the practical level in the second half of 2015, and costs will drop rapidly thanks to complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Infrared lasers are likely to become less important, shifting to different applications.